Oriskany (CV 34) - Naval Cruise Book

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NCE upon a time, Turkey was a land of romance, veiled ladies, fanatic Moslems and strange power as far west as Vienna. To Oriskany sailors, the new nation founded by the late Kemal Ataturk was part of the Western world, an ally of the United States. At Izmir late in July, officers and men could see how the Eastern way of life had given way to the Western. Along the shoreline, modern hotels and apartment houses gleamed whitely in the sun that set in the western sea. Ocean-going ships pulled up to docksides. Buicks and Stude- bakers and brand-new Fords purred along wide avenues. But an old quarter, of narrow winding lanes, bazaars and fezzed mer- chants, reminded officers and men that the curious spirit of the Arabs still lingered. Here and there, a minaret shot up cleanly to the sky. Despite mosque and fez, there was remarkable tolerance of non-be- lievers. Muezzins welcomed sailors into rug-strewn halls of prayer, guided them up interminable steps to balconies from which the call to the faith- ful was voiced several times each day. ln line with custom, sailors re- moved shoes when entering the places sacred to the people. Around mosques, outdoor cafes strangely lived up to their names, serving little cups of thick black coffee. According to Mohammedan doctrine, a believer was forbidden to touch liquor on pain of endangering his soul. Sailors noticed that many Turks were tempted to stray. But they would warn the soul first, with a loud shout before drinking, to steer clear, that brandy was on the way down. Bazaars of rug merchants opened without walls or doors directly on the little streets. Butchers and candy peddlers also displayed their wares in the open air. Plate glass a la American was reserved for tailors, hard- ware stores and bakeries. After walking the cobbled lanes, almost every sailor made his way to the Navy Canteen, located in palm lined fairgrounds. To get there, the city of Izmir hospitably permitted Americans in uniform to ride trolleys and busses without charge. Carriages drawn by narrow-Shanked horses charged a couple of hundred kurus, nearly a dollar. In the shadow of u muezzin's tower Oriskany chiefs shop for bric-u-bruc. fs -f . . . Turkey faces west The American and British colony at Izmir put themselves out to make Ill our visit pleasant. Wives of these engineers and businessmen volunteered to pour coffee, serve sandwiches and answer questions. But better than the refreshments, in the opinion of Oriskany men, was the dancing. To music by ships' orchestras, the ladies-mostly married and with young children but all good-looking--followed the steps of jitterbug and waltzer alike. Some sailors found it hardly necessary to move outside the canteen except on the way to and from Fleet Landing. A souvenir shop, an unofficial post office, and a bar offering a large cold bottle of beer or of lemon soda completed the set up. For weeks afterward the men remembered the fancy carving on meerschaum pipes at prices far below the twenty dollars charged by American tobacco shops. Tours through the back country to ancient Greek and Roman ruins at Ephesus reminded sailors that many other civilizations had passed through Asia Minor. The recent shift of Turkey from facing East to facing West thus seemed only another in a long tradition of keeping up with the world.

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4 4 SWITZERLAN C.,...,i.,,,,es G Modern lighting men find this old gun in the Chateau of Chillon an artistic weapon. iPicking out landmarks on a map of Geneva, Switzerland. 5 Oriskany men in the United Nations building in Geneva. , ,, i 1 1 t:,l.'f,9MWfs'Ne?x .,g ig, .,., L Q f qv SPL yy 5. I+ V ' .FV J We ,gf w I ,K yy f ri, ' git I if 'W 2 V It ' ,f , l C ,, 3 1 r'-W 1 1 f ,f 1 L 2315, I 'Ml ll .isa 4 F :.,,. ': , 5 A 3 f ,L L , ' f iw . I' -Q.: ms . , 4 f if .ww . F n - ..are N s GL 5 ,Y sais A ' f. ' H f ' 4 Fbzwgmf fr,:i,f+eQ ' 5 W H, Ffa , 'L Q.,:fE1X,, ',' iw ,' ' ' I 'f ' V 455: ,mffxgf fig, , 5 T, V , 1, , L :Q , ,, , J, f 7 ,' 2l4..1LGi .. 9 Everyone signs the register in the Chateau of Chillon. Q? Ghosts of armored knights linger in the walls and towers of Chillon castle. 0 Fireplace in the Barons' Hall, Chateau Chillon. hi 141, . , ,A i,,i.WW I 2 U1 ff! R32 3-1:2 situ.. A. . ,gif l N4 we

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The Srars and Stripes cmd the Turkish Crescent ily side by sicle at ifhe Fleet landing in izmir. 53' Sailor admires a Damascus blade while happy Turks mug for the Nr Cdmefdmdn. 9Turkish soldiers, policemen and a merchant pose with Oriskany men. 9 Marines enioy the hospitality at the Navy Canteen. 5 Among the colossal ruins of ancient Ephesus . . S . . . was a quiet, shady, restful corner. eo s ll,, is '5-he +R X. . N